"A Hidden Habitat"by Allison Rofe

One early September morning in the blue oak woodlands of eastern Contra Costa County, a pregnant cow waddles over to a stock pond to drink some water before heading uphill to graze the dry forage. Clusters of birds congregate along the pond’s edge dabbling for a drink. Among the winged visitors are western bluebirds, lark sparrows, acorn woodpeckers, oak titmice, and white-breasted nuthatches. Dragonflies zoom overhead, and an aquatic garter snake stealthily swims along looking for a morning meal. Plop! A California red-legged frog comes up for air leaving behind large ripples on the water’s surface. Thousands of invertebrates including giant diving beetles, water striders, and backswimmers actively chatter and move about the entirety of the water’s surface. California sister butterflies lap up minerals from the exposed mud. While this pond has little water left in it, it remains a critical resource for a myriad of organisms.

Amphibian populations in the Bay Area have declined over the years due to the loss of fragile wetland ecosystems and habitat fragmentation as a result of urban encroachment. Livestock ponds, designed and used for providing water to livestock, have become an essential habitat substitute for many of these amphibian species. Special status species like the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) and the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) rely on livestock ponds for breeding and non-breeding habitat. These ponds support several amphibian species that require an aquatic development phase. These species include western toads, California newts, and Pacific tree frogs. There is a synergistic element to livestock grazing and amphibian habitat. Livestock keep emergent and upland vegetation cover low, facilitating amphibian movement to and from the livestock pond.This fall, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) managed a project for an EBRPD grazing tenant to remove accumulated sediment from the blue oak woodland pond. This project also included access road repair and gully stabilization to reduce sedimentation from entering the pond. By prolonging the hydroperiod, we hope to provide continued breeding habitat for the specially-listed amphibians and provide clean drinking water for livestock to promote rangeland health and maintain viable working lands in the Bay Area. These livestock ponds are rich with life and add diversity to our landscapes.